Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rakes and more particularly to a rake which has very few parts and which can be easily assembled or disassembled.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rake which has had considerable commercial success is shown in FIG. 8 of this patent. While the entire rake is not shown, it is noted that this prior art rake includes forty-five pieces. There is a rake head, a rake handle, fourteen tines, fourteen bolts, and fourteen threaded nuts, in addition to the rake head, handle and the fastener to connect the handle to the rake head. Because of the large number of parts, the prior art rake of FIG. 8 is expensive to produce, primarily because of the labor involved for assembly.
Accordingly, there is a need for a rake which can be just as reliable but which can be made more cheaply.
The present invention relates to a rake having a plurality of rake assemblies, each having a loop portion on the rear end thereof and a tooth portion on the front thereof. The loop portion has a predetermined thickness corresponding to openings in a rake head. A projection on the rear side of each one of the openings in the rake head is provided so that the loop portion of the rake tooth assembly can pass through an opening and over the projection. This arrangement, in conjunction with the portion of each rake tooth assembly abutting the front side of the rake head, holds the rake tooth assembly in place. The present invention also includes a method of attaching a rake tooth assembly to the rake head and also includes a method of detaching a rake tooth assembly from a rake head for replacement purposes.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved rake.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new rake which is cheaper to construct because of savings in labor costs, but which is just as reliable as prior art rakes.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.